Weed puller



sepi. 1s, 1945.

D. M. sMlTH 2,385,167

WEED FULLER Filed April 17, 1943 `2 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 18, 1945.

D. M. SMITH wEED FULLER 'Filed April 17, 194:5

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WO/m/fr Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE 2,385,187 I f Win11)` FULLER D Montgomery Smith, Portland, Oreg. applicati@ April r1, 1943, serial No. 483,380

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to garden tools, .and particularly to a weed puller.

The main object of this invention is to provide a weed puller which will be easy to manufacture, easy to operate, which will not make a large hole in the ground, and which will be especially adapted for withdrawing tap roots of deep growing weeds.

The second object is to provide a weed puller of the class described with an ejector.

I accomplish these and other objects in the manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of the device showing the puller jaws open and ready to enter the ground around a weed.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the position of the parts when the weed puller is inserted into the ground, and also as the weed is withdrawn.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View showing the position of the parts during the ejection operation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a smplied form of the invention showing the parts in position to be inserted into the ground.

Fig. '1 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the jaws closed, ready to pull a Iweed.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of Fig. 6.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there is parts shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, a knob Il] on the end of the handle II whose lower end I2 is slightly reduced in diameter to receive the tubular stem I3 which is secured on the end I2I by means `of a rivet I4.

The tube I3 has slots I5 formed in the sides thereof to produce the forked arms I3 between which are mounted the jaws I1 which are connected by the rivet I8 which is mounted on the forked members I6. The slots I5 provide clearance for the arms I9 of the jaws I1.

The tube I3 also has the slots 20 formed in the sides thereof to freely vreceive the transverse bolt 2| to which is attached the ejector 22 consisting of a U shaped spring member whose ends 23 normally lie lbetween the jaws I1 as near as possible to the rivet I8 when in a retracted position; that is, when the bolt 2| is at the end of the slots 20 farthest from the jaws I1. The end 24 is curled around the bolt 2| in a. manner to permit the bolt 2| to move the ejector 22 in either direction. A spring 25 is attached to the end` 24 and to the screw eye 26 in the handle end I2. The purpose of the spring 25 is to lurge the ejector 22 toward a retracted position.

Slidably mounted on the tube I3 is a sleeve 21 on one end of which is secured a hand grip 28, and near one end of which is secured a band 29 between whose forked ends 30 are mounted the links 3| which are hinged to the forked ends 3|) by means of the rivets 32, and to the arms I9 by the rivets 33. Theend 34 of the sleeve 21 rests against the bolt 2| due to the action of gravity when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1, but the end I34 moves away from the bolt 2| when the parts .are in the position shown in Fig. 2; that is, when the hand grip 28 is moved manually toward the knob I0, thereby closing the jaws I1 upon the weed tap ropt 35 as shown in Fig. 2. Then as the weed is withdrawn from the ground, the movement of the grip 28 away from the knob I0 brings the end 34 again into contact with the bolt 2|, and a further movement causes the bolt 2| to move downwardly .along the slots 20 and cause the ejector ends 23 to move outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby completely ejecting the weed and removing whatever dirt may have been packed up within.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the action is similar, but the ejector is eliminated. In this form of the device, the knob 4|) is mounted on the handle 4| which extends into the tubular member 42 and is secured thereto by means of a rivet 43. The tube 42 is slidable within the sleeve 44 between whose forked ends 45 are mounted the jaws 46 on the rivet 41 which is supported by the forked arm 45 The levers 48 ,are urged apart by means of the spring 49 which is attached to the rivet 41, and the spring 49 urges the jaws 45 toward an open position. A band clamp 5I] is secured to the tubular member 42 and has connected to the forked ends 5I bymeans of the rivets 52 the connecting links 53 which are joined by the rivets 54 to the levers 48.

The operation of this form of the device is as follows:

` sary to allow enough time for the spring 49 to reopen the jaws 46, permitting the weed to escape. If it does not fall out of its own accord, a slight shake will encourage it to leave the jaws 46 .It can be seen that the devices, although seemy ingly diierent, are yet quite similar in construction and in operation. Eitherl can be operated with one hand, and both are extremely efficient in removal of deep growing weeds.

It will be noted that the ejector 22 is in the form of a spring and its ends 23 bear against the inner side of the jaws and serve to urge them apart.

It will also be noted that in both forms of the device, the weed engaging element is actually a pair of pliers, the jaws of which are manipulated by a long extension handle which is used to force the pliers into the ground.

I am, of course, aware that numerous forms of weed pullers have been constructed in the past. I therefore do not claim such devices broadly, but I do intend to cover all such forms and modications thereof as fall fairly within the appended claim.

I claim:

A weed puller of the class described consisting of a pair of weed engaging pliers including a pair of jaws and a connecting pivot, together with a pair of handles for actuating said jaws, a tubular stem disposed between said handles having a forked end attached to the plier pivot, a sleeve slidably mounted on said stem, toggle links connected to said sleeve and to the outer ends of said handles, a knob on the outermost end of said stem, a weed ejector mounted between the jaws of said pliers-and extending upwardly into said stem, a bolt attached to the upper end of said weed ejector and extending through said stem, said stem being slotted to receive said bolt and permitting limited movement thereof, and a spring for urging said ejector toward a retracted position.

D MONTGOMERY SMITH. 

